Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lieutenant, C. A. N. Holden, 1/22nd Punjabis, late Leinster Regiment, who was killed in action at Spin Baldack, Afghanistan, on 27 May 1919

British War and Victory Medals (2, Lieut. C. A. N. Holden.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (Lieut. C. A. N. Holden, 1-22 Pjbis.) together with Bronze Memorial Plaque (C. A. N. Holden) this with small hole drilled through centre, otherwise toned, extremely fine and a scarce casualty (4) £500-£600

Cecil Alexander Naldrett Holden was born in Birmingham on 22 March 1898, and educated at Camp Hill Grammar School, Birmingham. He enlisted on 6 November 1916, and was selected for officer training at No. 14 (Inns of Court) Officer Cadet Battalion, from where he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant into the Leinster Regiment on 27 June 1917. He served with his regiment on the Western Front in France from 30 August 1917, until the end of hostilities, and embarked with it for India on 6 November 1918. He was appointed to the Indian Army on 14 January 1919, and was attached on probation to the 22nd Punjabis. A few months later, he was again in action, this time in an offensive against the Afghans on the southern border with British held Baluchistan. He was killed in action in the attack on Fort Spin Baldak on 27 May 1919.

The garrison of the fort at Spin Baldak consisted of an Afghan Jaddi Regiment, some 600 strong. Its capture by the British would give then control of the railhead at Chaman. The attack was launched at 0800 hours on 27 May 1919, with an artillery bombardment of the fort, then the infantry advanced to the assault in two columns. The left infantry attack under Major-General T. H. Hardy, C.B., commanding the 11th Infantry Brigade consisted of the 1/22nd Punjabis and the 1/4th Gurkha Rifles, who worked their way through the gardens and buildings towards the fort. The 22nd Punjabis found themselves confronted by a wall 15 feet high and 2-3 feet thick. They began to make a breach with entrenching tools and with their bayonets and sent back to reserve for scaling ladders. Whilst engaged in this task, an aeroplane bomb intended for the fort, fell on ‘A’ Company. One British officer, one Indian officer and 3 men were killed, whilst two British officers and eight men were wounded by the explosion.

The wall was finally breached and preparation for the attack on the fort itself was made. The fort now came under rifle and machine-gun fire at a range of about 200 yards and at about 0950 some 200 of the enemy broke out of the fort and made for the hills to the north. They were caught by the Lewis guns and flank-company of the 22nd Punjabis and suffered heavy casualties. In the meantime the right infantry attack had met stiff opposition in taking the two hills overlooking the fort, which the Afghans defended to the last man. On the two hills being finally taken, the 22nd Punjabis and the 4th Gurkhas assaulted the fort itself through a breach in the southern wall made by the artillery. By 1345 the fort was completely in our possession and 170 prisoners taken.

In the course of the action three British and one Indian officer were killed, all from 1/22nd Punjabis who were well to the fore in the attack: Lieutenants C. A. N. Holden, A.L. Ambrose and G. Morrison, and Subedar Sohel Singh, as well as five British other ranks and 10 Indian other ranks.

Lieutenant Holden is buried in Chaman Cemetery, Baluchistan, and is also commemorated by name on the Delhi Memorial (India Gate).